CK Akonnor will be sacked soon - Coach JE Sarpong claims

Former Asante Kotoko and Ebusua Dwarfs coach, JE Sarpong has said the Ghana Football Association is on a mission to sack CK Akonnor.

Akonnor, 47, has dominated the headlines following the release of his squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations doubleheader against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

The inclusion of UK-born Kwame Poku, who plays club football for Colchester United in the English fourth tier, in the squad has generated the most criticism.

“We need to investigate and find out who invited the player to come whether it was CK or somebody else. We cannot only blame CK," the veteran coach told Accra Happy FM.

"For me coach Sarpong if you interfere with my selection I will resign. I will not allow anybody to interfere in my team selection. If it goes wrong, you the coach will be sacrificed; he [Akonnor] has to put his foot down.

"From where I sit, CK is not in charge of the team. There has been an agenda to sack CK Akonnor long ago, but they don’t know how to do it.

"Let’s go and play the games against South Africa and Sao Tome, something will happen. The technical director [Bernhard] Lippert will be asked to take over the team temporarily."

Akonnor assumed duty as Ghana coach in January last year following the exit of James Kwasi Appiah, who lost favour following the Black Stars' poor performance at the 2019 Afcon tournament in Egypt.

So far, the former Wolfsburg captain has supervised four matches as Ghana boss, winning two and losing two.

Ghana face South Africa away in Johannesburg on Thursday before returning home to take on Sao Tome on Sunday.